SHARAPOVA DRAWS HALEP IN FIRST ROUND OF OPEN

Maria Sharapova's first Grand Slam match in more than 1.5 years will come against No. 2-seeded Simona Halep at the U.S. Open.

Sharapova's first-round matchup with two-time French Open runner-up Halep was set up by Friday's draw, which also put Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on the same side of the men's bracket, meaning they could meet only in the semifinals.

The U.S. Tennis Association awarded a wild-card invitation to Sharapova, who is ranked only 147th after returning from a 15-month doping suspension in April, so she could have been randomly placed to face any other player.

Sharapova was kicked off the tour after testing positive for the newly banned drug meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open.

Her five major championships include the 2006 U.S. Open.

The year's last Grand Slam tournament starts Monday.

Nadal is seeded No. 1 at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2010 after returning to the ATP's top ranking this week. Federer is seeded No. 3. They have played 37 head-tohead matches, including 12 at major tournaments — at least twice in a final — but never at Flushing Meadows in any round.

Federer beat Nadal in the Australian Open final in January. Nadal then won his 10th French Open trophy in June, and Federer won his eighth Wimbledon title in July.